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Written by Norm Rose
PhoCusWright
MARKET RESEARCH INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE
PhoCusWright White Paper:
Managed Travel 2020: Technology Drives New Opportunities October 2014
This PhoCusWright White Paper is made possible by The International Air Transport Association (IATA)
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the
worlds airlines, representing some 240 airlines or 84% of total air traffic. We support
many areas of aviation activity and help formulate industry policy on critical aviation
issues. www.iata.org
About PhoCusWright
PhoCusWright is the travel industry research authority on how travelers,
suppliers and intermediaries connect. Independent, rigorous and unbiased,
PhoCusWright fosters smart strategic planning, tactical decision-making and
organizational effectiveness.
To complement its primary research in North and Latin America, Europe and
Asia, PhoCusWright produces several high-profile conferences in the United
States and Europe, and partners with conferences in Canada, China and
Singapore. Industry leaders and company analysts bring this intelligence to
life by debating issues, sharing ideas and defining the ever-evolving reality of
travel commerce.
The company is headquartered in the United States with Asia Pacific opera-
tions based in India and local analysts on five continents.
Introduction
Technology is changing every aspect of our lives, including the way business travel is
planned, booked and experienced. Few would consider modern day business travel to
be hassle-free, but technology is making business travelers more informed and able to
add services that make their trips more comfortable.
Most corporations have long recognized that business travel is one of the companys
largest controllable expenses. In an attempt to manage this spend, corporate travel
managers have created structured programs designed to reduce and control costs by
leveraging volume to obtain supplier discounts. To manage these discounts, corpo-
rations have sought the help of dedicated corporate travel agencies or Travel Man-
agement Companies (TMCs), and have deployed web-based applications known as
Corporate Booking Tools (CBTs).
These traditional ways of managing travel are being disrupted by new technologies
and standards that will change the face of business travel by 2020. These include the
growth of personal device technology, new value-added ancillary travel services and
emerging protocol standards that will provide greater choice of airline products and
drive more personalized offers to travelers.
Purpose of Paper
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of technology on the way managed
business travelers purchase airline products and services, predicting what will be the lead-
ing trends by 2020. This paper analyzes disruptive changes happening today and forecasts
how they will impact the managed travel process, the traveler experience and their expec-
tations in the near future, with a focus on airline booking practices. The paper is organized
in four sections:
0 Part One Managed Travelers Embrace Smart Mobile Devices and Expect More Per-
sonalized Services
0 Part Two Technology Driving New Business Practices
0 Part Three Managed Business Travel in 2020 Greater Personalization
0 Part Four Conclusions
Methodology
IATA Global Passenger Survey
PhoCusWright partnered with IATA, adding 20 unique questions targeting managed travel-
ers to the annual IATA Global Passenger Survey, conducted between July 29 and Septem-
ber 14, 2014. To be included in this section of the survey, the questions targeted travelers
who work for companies that have specific policies regarding travel purchasing and
reimbursement. The respondents needed to verify that their companies used one of these
elements as part of a managed travel program: (1) expense policies (e.g., allowed and
non-allowed expenses); (2) the use of preferred suppliers (e.g., airlines, hotels and car rental
companies); (3) the use of preferred booking channels such as a corporate travel agency/
TMC or a company-provided online booking tool (also known as a corporate booking tool
or CBT).
The survey respondents represent a valid sample of 976 respondents from each of the
major geographic regions of Europe, BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China), North America,
Asia Pacific (APAC) and other regions beyond these four categories (see Figure 1).
0 Five airlines, four full-service carriers (FSC) and one low-cost carrier (LCC).
0 Five TMCs: two global TMCs and three large regional TMCs.
These in-depth interviews reviewed current and future trends in the managed travel
sector, providing multiple perspectives on emerging trends impacting the market.
These interviews helped us define the key issues disrupting the managed travel market
today and tomorrow.
BRICS 30%
APAC 17%
Other Regions 6%
Among the 75% who were not completely satisfied or even dissatisfied, the number one
reason was, I can find lower fares and better rates online (see Figure 3).
There is no doubt that the belief that lower prices can be obtained online continues to
be a source of frustration for the managed traveler. With 35% expressing a desire to book
airline reservations directly with suppliers, direct booking creates friction between man-
aged travel goals and business traveler preferences for about one third of travelers.
Through their smart devices, managed business travelers are now connected 24/7 with
untethered access to travel information.
Somewhat dissatisfied 9%
Very dissatisfied 3%
Question: How satisfied are you with the current corporate travel service provided by your company/and corporate travel
agency (Travel Management Company/TMC)?
Base: Business travelers (N=976)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Question: Why are you not completely satisfied with your current corporate travel service? Please select all that apply.
Base: Business travelers (N=731)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Desktop/laptop 93%
and an additional 18% have their assistants book travel via the telephone (see Figure 5).
Only 15% book their air travel directly on an airline website.
Optional airline services, also known as airline ancillary services, have a higher level
of direct bookings with airline websites, at 22%. Six in 10 respondents have booked
optional airline services.
When asked about their preferred booking methods for air travel products, an interest-
ing shift emerged. Whether booking directly with the airline supplier or with the travel
agency, the desktop/laptop is widely preferred over the smartphone or tablet. Howev-
er, when asked about mobile apps, 39% of respondents stated a preference for book-
ing directly on the airlines smartphone app, compared with only 10% that preferred the
TMC or company-provided app (see Figure 6).
18%
My assistant calls my company travel agency (TMC) for my
reservations 6%
15%
Directly via the airline website
22%
4%
Directly via the airline app
6%
2%
Calling the airline directly
5%
0%
I never purchase optional airline products/services
40%
Question: Please identify your main method for booking airline products for your business travel. Choose one for each
category Airline Tickets and Ancillary Services.
Base: Business travelers (N=969)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
13%
Directly via the airline website 6%
59%
23%
39%
Directly via the airline app 16%
9%
37%
10%
3%
Through my company travel agency (TMC)
website or my company provided website 66%
21%
21%
Through my company travel agency (TMC) 7%
app or my company provided mobile app 18%
54%
Question: Please indicate your preferred device for booking airline products for business travel. Choose one device per activity.
Base: Business travelers (N=685)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
With a large percentage of corporate travelers already at a high frequent flyer status
level, some ancillary fees such as baggage charges and preferred seating are less of
an issue, since they are often complimentary. The pain point is the infrequent travelers,
where these fees have the greatest impact (see Figure 8).
Nearly three in 10 (28%) respondents book ancillary airline services directly on the
airline website (see Figure 9). Today, there are major challenges with selling ancillaries
at the travel agent point of sale (POS). POS capabilities are emerging, and may shift the
sale to the TMC. CBT displays will also need to be adjusted to accommodate ancillary
services at the point of sale.
Question: Please rank the airline ancillary services below in order of importance to you (1 = most important, 2 = somewhat import-
ant, 3 = neutral, 4 = less important, 5 = not important) when traveling for business?
Base: Business travelers (N=976)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Complimentary based on My company reimburses me I personally pay for these services Not applicable
my frequent flyer status
43%
Preferred seating/extra legroom 13%
22%
22%
55%
Early boarding 5%
12%
28%
31%
25%
Onboard meals
12%
32%
43%
5%
Expedited security screening
12%
39%
49%
7%
Lounge access
20%
24%
30%
4%
Onboard entertainment (e.g., movies, games)
18%
47%
12%
16%
In-flight Wi-Fi
22%
50%
30%
38%
Checked bag fees
11%
22%
Question: Please indicate which statements are true regarding how you pay for ancillary services when traveling for business.
Check all that apply.
Base: Business travelers (N=883)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Question: How would you prefer to purchase ancillary services for your next business trip?
Base: Business travelers (N=389)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Question: How do you see the airline experience changing for your business travel over the next 3-4 years? Choose all that apply.
Base: Business travelers (N=976)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Nearly half of respondents (45%) would like to have their preferences stored and their
flights automatically booked based on these preferences (see Figure 11). The managed
traveler expects technology solutions that anticipate weather delays and automatically
rebooks or provides alternatives.
The managed traveler is also looking for automated ways to change flights when their
itinerary changes, or when flights are late or cancelled (51%) (see Figure 12). Managed
travelers want greater integration with calendar appointments (26%). There is some inter-
est in optional services such as hotels, cars, restaurants or ground transportation (11%).
Figure 11: Top 3 Ways to Improve Booking, Purchase and Pre-Flight Experience
1st Choice 2nd Choice 3rd Choice
22%
Anticipate weather delays and automatically 24%
rebook or provide alternatives
24%
18%
Automatically rebook my flight if I have a 33%
change in my flight schedule
25%
7%
Automatically rebook all related itinerary
elements (e.g., hotel, car rental) when my 21%
flight schedule changes 27%
Question: Please select the top three ways (1 = top choice, 2 = second choice, 3 = third choice) airlines could improve your
booking, purchase and pre-flight experience when traveling for business?
Base: Business travelers (N=976)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
26%
Automatically book my airline reservations based on 21%
my calendar appointments and preferences
17%
11%
Allow me to book optional services such as hotels, 28%
cars, restaurant meals or ground transportation
30%
6%
Book my airline reservations via voice-enabled
personal assistant (e.g., Siri, Google Now) 9%
14%
4%
Allow me to shop for and purchase tickets for
local events and activities at my destination 11%
25%
Question: Please select the top three (1 = top choice, 2 = second choice, 3 = third choice) booking capabilities you would like to
see available on your mobile airline web or app over the next 3-4 years.
Base: Business travelers (N=976)
Source: IATA Global Passenger Survey
2014 PhoCusWright Inc. All Rights Reserved.
On one end companies enforce strict travel policies, often limiting expense reimburse-
ment if the traveler violates any aspect of the policy. These are generally larger com-
panies, but smaller firms may have equally strict policies. Tightly managed programs
often deploy specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that closely monitor travel
policy performance and traveler behavior.
At the other end of the continuum are companies that publish travel guidelines and
often lack measures to track policy compliance. Specific industry types and overall
corporate culture often influence where a company fits on this spectrum. For example,
industry sectors that need to abide by strict rules and controls such as the financial
services industry are more likely to embrace tightly managed travel policy practices. On
the other hand, high tech companies with a strong entrepreneurial spirit may opt more
for guidelines rather than strict policy control.
The largest segment of companies falls into the moderately managed category. Within
this group the level of enforcement may vary based on type of policy violation. There
are also differences across regions and countries, where local culture and customs can
impact the way corporate policy is enforced. In emerging markets or for smaller corpo-
rations, policies tend to gravitate toward the lightly managed end of the continuum.
managers who must justify their programs to corporate travelers and senior manage-
ment, many of whom are often frequent travelers themselves.
The introduction of the iPhone in June 2007 was a watershed moment for the man-
aged travel industry, though few recognized it at the time and many are still struggling
to manage the rapid adoption of smartphones by their corporate travelers. Of equal
significance was the introduction of the iPad in 2010, which often augments or replaces
the travelers laptop. The spread and dominance of Google Android phones and tab-
lets has also accelerated mobile smart device adoption worldwide.
This preferred channel has been challenged by direct supplier contact, either through the
airline call center or based on airline loyalty programs. The web added additional options
for searching airfares. This resulted in friction with the preferred booking channel.
The growth of smart devices has extended access to OTAs, airline direct, metasearch
and social media 24/7, anywhere. The emergence of value-added ancillary airline
services also added more optional airline services (see Figure 14).
Figure 14: Managed Travel Airline Ecosystem Web, Mobile and Value Added Ancillaries
Web
App
Managed
CBT
Business Web
Traveler Airline
App
App
Web
App
recent Carlson Wagonlit global survey on top travel priorities for 2014, only 38% of trav-
el managers with global responsibility ranked mobile as a high priority. Specific regions
had even lower mobile strategy priorities, such as EMEA with 21% of travel managers
stating that mobile was a strategic priority for 2014.1 This effort has been significantly
complicated by the corporate trends that allow travelers to Bring Your Own Device
(BYOD). In a BYOD environment, corporate travel managers lack visibility into mobile
travel app usage. Some companies dictate what apps are allowed on mobile devices,
while many do not (see Figure 15).
Open Booking
The concept of Open Booking has been a hot topic over the last two years. The prem-
ise of Open Booking, also referred to as Managed Travel 2.0., is simple: Companies set
targets for trips, and allow travelers complete freedom to book through any channel
based on meeting or beating the benchmark. Managed travelers are then incentivized
to find lower rates and must share their itineraries with the company in order to support
corporate duty of care requirements. Various tools have emerged to capture out-of-
channel bookings made directly with suppliers. Because Open Booking technology can
capture out-of-channel bookings into the managed program, it benefits all enterprises,
even those that dont want to implement an Open Booking policy.
1 CWT Reveals Top Travel Priorities for 2014, Carlson Wagonlit Travel press release (January 30, 2014).
Figure 15: The Impact of Technology and Disruptive Trends on the Managed Travel
Airline Ecosytem
Web
App
Managed
CBT
Business Web
App
OPEN BOOKINGS
Airline Direct Airline Agent
Web
App
2 Zoe Fox, The Hottest Spot for Hackathons? 30,000 Feet in the Air, Mashable (June 13, 2013).
XML
The underlying communication platform for travel is also changing. The Electronic Data Inter-
change for Administration, Commerce and Transport (EDIFACT) is an international electronic
interface standard (EDI) developed under the United Nations back in 1987.3 This protocol
was designed to allow the easy interchange of information across disparate systems.
In February 1998, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) published its first version of
an Extensible Markup Language XML (1.0.). Dr. Charles Goldfarb, an IBM researcher
who was personally involved with the invention of XML, claims it to be the holy grail
of computing, solving the problem of universal data interchange between dissimilar
systems.4 XML has changed the way information is exchanged between systems. By
definition, XML is extensible, which means it can be expanded to increase the amount
of information exchanged between systems.
Some of the communication in the travel ecosystem has been converted to XML, but
EDIFACT communication has remained the primary protocol for the majority of airline
communication. A new airline XML standard is being introduced that allows for greater
product differentiation, customized offers and efficient servicing of customer preferenc-
es, responding to the very heart of the disruptive change driven by managed traveler
expectations.
Personalized Services
By 2020, the managed travel ecosystem will seamlessly integrate traveler service pref-
erences with expanded airline services to meet ever evolving managed traveler expec-
tations. New communication protocols and the ability to track and measure customer
preferences throughout the journey will be imbedded into the process. Big Data will be
used to better match services with the preferences of travelers, anticipating their needs.
Wearable Technology
Wearable technologies will augment services provided by current mobile smart devic-
es. These include smart watches and glasses that provide an easier hands-free comput-
ing environment. By 2020, the adoption and impact of wearable technologies will likely
provide an added level of efficiency to the managed travel experience with increased
use of augmented reality (AR), delivering real-time travel advice and offers to the man-
aged traveler. Wearable technologies will be in wide use by airline service personnel,
enabling the delivery of more personalized services.
Intelligent Assistants
Today, intelligent assistants such Siri, Google Now and Cortana have limited ability
to substantially support travelers. By 2020, intelligent assistants will be able to handle
more complex tasks. Specific intelligent assistants for travel (i.e., intelligent travel assis-
tants or ITAs) will be introduced that will automatically update itineraries during disrup-
tions and recommend services to travelers en route. This technology will help meet the
2020 managed travelers expectations for more automated services.
Open Booking will gain momentum, but will likely only be adopted by certain types
of companies whose corporate culture supports this approach. The exact size of the
Open Booking segment is hard to predict, as generational shifts may alter corporate
culture and thus drive more acceptance of the Managed Travel 2.0 approach.
In addition to todays focus on seats, boarding and Wi-Fi, some creative ancillaries are
emerging, including pre-purchase of online meals, flexibility in ticket rules (e.g., ability
to change at a reduced fee) and customized in-flight entertainment delivered on per-
sonal mobile devices. The airlines are hard at work creating a la carte and bundled an-
cillary offers involving merchandise, complementary travel services (e.g., hotel, ground
transportation) and even branded apparel. Corporate negotiated ancillary bundles will
likely become part of an overall airline negotiation strategy.
By 2020, airlines will be able to provide a unique set of services for each reservation
request, and a tailored response based on customer insights. Corporate relationships
and discounts will likely still be in place for large companies, but by 2020, unique
airline-controlled offers will be part of the ecosystem as well. This shift in the way the
airline offer is created will be enabled by widespread adoption of the New Distribution
Capability (NDC), an XML data exchange standard, facilitated by IATA.
Part 4: Conclusions
Predicting the future based on todays technology can be challenging. Major change
is often facilitated by innovations which in turn create disruptive business models. For
example, Uber would not be possible without the smartphone. Understanding how tech-
nology will fuel disruptive models is the key to understanding managed travel in 2020.
From the travelers point of view, the message is clear: Managed business travelers
want personalized services that reduce travel friction and match their preferences. They
expect automation to seamlessly handle itinerary changes.
In six years we may see moderate change in managed business practices, or a new
era that looks dramatically different than it does today. What will dictate the level of
change is how the emerging ecosystem embraces new technology, understands travel-
er behavior and meets expectations.
For tightly managed business travel, new tools will likely emerge to create even greater
control over the traveler through their mobile device. The question is: How big is the
tightly managed segment? Our research indicates that the tightly managed business
segment is no more than 15-20% of the market. This leaves 80% of the market vulnera-
ble to disruptive trends and technology (see Figure 16):
0 Generation Shifts Millennials moving into senior management positions will likely
bring their self-service, instant gratification expectations to their roles, influencing
the entire corporation to be more proactive in providing personalized travel services.
0O
pen Booking Managed Travel 2.0 will likely take hold with some moderately and,
certainly, lightly managed companies. As tools to capture out-of-channel bookings
improve, and as TMCs evolve to support fragmented itineraries, Open Booking will
likely be mainstream for a portion of the market.
0P
ersonalized Messages By 2020, personalized messages will be driven by Big
Data analytics. The fear of being bombarded with unwanted requests is real, but
if the offers are truly personalized, managed business travelers will recognize their
benefit and thus embrace the process.
0D
ynamic Offers and Bundling The airlines are implementing systems to drive
personalization to all travelers in the form of dynamic offers and unique bundles.
The underlying technology enabler for travel distribution transformation is NDC, which
at its heart is simply an XML standard. Given that XML is already used by all players in
the ecosystem, the emerging business models will likely be the catalyst of change.
The NDC Standard will enable the travel industry to transform the way air products
are retailed. The goal is to allow a greater and richer amount of information to flow
from the airlines throughout the entire ecosystem. NDC will provide airlines with the
capability to dynamically create customized products and services, regardless of the
channel through which the reservation is being made. The airlines role in payments
may change for those who choose book direct via an Open Booking policy, where
airlines will accept and process payment, directly rather than through a TMC or corpo-
rate charge card. By 2020, this will likely be via mobile payment services, making this a
seamless experience.
When new business models are created, there is always a fear that existing relation-
ships and roles may be altered, impacting the current stakeholders. There is a valuable
and separate role for each ecosystem player in a 2020 managed travel world enabled
by NDC. Change is inevitable, and it is ultimately the responsibility of the stakeholder
to adapt. In 2020, whether you are a TMC, technology provider or corporate travel
manager, you must add value to customers, partners and suppliers. The managed
traveler is ultimately pushing this change for more personalized offers and services. To
meet this challenge, all parties should cooperate in utilizing information and providing
services that best reduce friction for the managed traveler, while helping the corpora-
tion manage its overall travel expenses.